Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a Singaporean statesman and economist, is on the cusp of becoming Singapore’s president. Before his current role as President-elect, Tharman’s journey in public service has been marked by significant milestones. Let us look at Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s journey.
Tharman entered the political arena during the 2001 general election, representing Jurong GRC as part of a five-member PAP team. He achieved a resounding victory, securing 79.75% of the vote. Subsequently, he was appointed Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Senior Minister of State for Education.
In 2003, Tharman joined the Cabinet as Minister for Education, a role he held until 2008. As an economist by profession, his entire career has been devoted to serving Singapore in various capacities related to economic and social policies. Simultaneously, he has taken on leadership roles in esteemed international councils and panels.
Tharman is a member of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Furthermore, he contributes to the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism, tasked with making recommendations for the UN Summit of the Future in 2024.
Tharman’s political career:
After the 2011 general election, Tharman assumed the position of Deputy Prime Minister, maintaining his role as Minister for Finance. He also held the additional responsibility of Minister for Manpower from 2011 to 2012. However, he stepped down as Minister for Finance on September 30, 2015, after a nine-year tenure.
In a significant Cabinet reshuffle announced on April 23, 2019, Tharman, alongside Teo Chee Hean, was appointed Senior Minister, effective from May 1, 2019. He relinquished his Deputy Prime Minister portfolio and took on the role of Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, providing guidance to the prime minister on economic policies.
In the 2020 general election, Tharman successfully defended his parliamentary seat in Jurong GRC, securing 74.62% of the vote against the competing five-member Red Dot United team.
However, in July 2023, Tharman took a momentous step. He resigned from Parliament, relinquishing all government positions and leaving his membership in the PAP behind. This decision came out in order to stand as a candidate in the 2023 Singaporean presidential election. And, this marked a new chapter in Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s journey in public service.